"In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage."
― Shakespeare, Henry V: Act 3, Scene 1
If a man is only capable of mayhem, he is not a safe man, and if he is only capable of minding his manner, he is not safe either. The first man may turn on you and the second man cannot turn away danger. The first man is a blessing when he is on your side against a common foe and the second man is a blessing to rest beside when there are no foes, but the first man is no fun to relax with because you're always walking on eggshells and the second man is no fun to fight beside because he always gets you shelled.
Timidity and temerity are equally dangerous. The timid can get you killed and the temerous can turn on you. The timid are perhaps more dangerous because no one intuitively sees the danger. Everyone sees the danger of the ticking time bomb, but few see the danger of a bomb with no bang.
"If you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of." — Jordan B. Peterson
A good man must be good at being a man. He needs to know how to sit still in peace and how to rise up and rage. If he can only do one or the other, he is not safe.
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